Predirecting system for torpedoes



A. D. THENOR. PREDIRECTING SYSTEM FOR TORPEDOES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, WW. RENEWED- JAN. 14,1921.

' Patented June 6, 1922.

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N. Y., OF GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

ASSIGNOR TO 30 1 TING SYSTEM: FOR TOEDOES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 1 1 mm 6, 11922,

Application filed Junezo, 1917, Serial No. 175,848. Renewed January it, 1921. Serial Ho. 437,380.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT D. TRENOR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Predirecting Systems for Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification.

Some of the objects of this invention are to provide in a predirecting system for torpedoes' means whereby the torpedo may be predirected while it is bein fired or discharged from a relatively statlonary torpedo tube or other suitable support; to provide an improved system for predirecting and launching torpedoes, comprising a torpedo tube or other basal support, means for projecting a torpedo from the tube or support, means rendered operative as a result of the outward movement of the torpedo within its tube or support for initiating and accelerating the rotation of the rotor ofv a gyroscope or other directing means carried by the torpedo, and means for rotatively adjusting an azimuth ring or other element cooperating with the gyroscope to predirect the torpedo while the torpedo is being forced outwardly within the tube and while the rotary movemens' of the rotor is being accelerated, and

:up to the point in the movement of the tor-- pedo where the rotor of the gyroscope has reached a certain predetermined speed; and to provide other improvements as will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings F ig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in vertical section, of a system constructed in accordance with this invention for predirecting and discharging a torpedo; and Fig. 2'is a diagrammatic top plan view of a portion of the same. a

Referring to the drawings, one embodiment of this invention comprises a torpedo tube which may be stationarilym'ounted in any suitable manner u on a torpedo boat or upon any other suit'a le support. This tube is arranged to contain a torpedo of any well known or suitable construction, and 'is'provided at its inner end with an inlet 16 which communicates through a pipe 17 with a tank 18 or other source of compressed air for discharging the torpedo 15 from the tube 10 in a well known manner, the-discharge of the torpedo from the tube 10 being controlled by a valve 20 which controls the pipe 17 and which is arranged in anyconvenient position.

The torpedo 15 comprises a hollow shell ofany. well known orsuitable construction, Wl'llCh is provided'with one or more propellers 26 arranged to be actuated by a shaft 27 which is driven by any suitable motor carried 5 the torpedo.

The torpe o 15 is also provided with a pair of normally vertical rudders and 36 which are arranged to oscillate about normally vertical axes and to be controlled in a well k own 'manner by two connecting rods 37 and 38 which-are arranged to be actuated respectively by two spring pressed pistons 39 and 40 which are arranged in stationary cylinders 41 and 42. The outer ends of these two cylinders are connected by a pipe 45 and their inner ends are connected bya pipe V 46, and these two pipes are arranged to receive air from two pipes 47 and 48 respectively which communicate through a stationary valve casing 50 and pipe 51 with a tank" 55 or other source of compressed air. The inlet of the air into and the exhaustof air from the opposite ends of the two cylinders 4:1 and 42 are controlled by a valve which is arranged to reciprocate in the ca'sing 50 and which is controlled by two solenoids 61 and 62 which are arranged to be 1 A E auraoND, JRL,

controlled in a well known manner by an 7 azimuth ring 65 which is arranged within a casing 66 to rotate with respect thereto about a normally vertical axis.

The casing 66 contains a gyroscope 70 which is arranged to control a conducting arm 71which is arranged to swing about a 'normally vertical axis coincident with the vertical axis of the azimuth ring 65 and which has its free end arranged to slide over the azimuth ring 65 which is divided into two approximately semi-circular segments 72 and 73 which are insulated one from the v other, and which are connected respectively by conductors 74 and 75 with the outer ends of the two solenoids 61 and 62. The swinging arm 71 is connected by a conductor 76 to one pole of a better 77, the other pole of which is connected lily a conductor 78 and branch conductor 79 with the two inner ends of the solenoids 61 and 62. By this arrangement, when the torpedo 15 swings with re spect to the arm 71 which is caused to point in a fixed direction by the gyroscope,the arm 71 will make contact with one or the other of the segments 72, 73 and will energize the corresponding solenoid 61 or. 62 to steer the therewith, which is engaged by'a pinion 86,

which is coaxial with and rigidly secured to an elongated pinion 87, which is arranged in a horizontally reciprocatory sleeve 88. The elongated gear 87 and the pinion 86 rigid therewith are rotated independently of the sleeve 88 by means of a turbine 90 which is actuated by compressed air delivered into the turbine through a pipe 91 which leads from the tank 55, and which is controlled by a valve 92 which arranged to be controlled by a trigger 93 which is shown in its closed position in Fig. 1, and which is arranged to be moved into engagement with the stationary lug 94 to open the valve 92 as the torpedo is forced out of the torpedo tube 10.

For holding the imbal rings 81 and 82 of the gyroscope 70 fixed with respect to the torpedo 15 while the torpedo is at rest'in a ing position, as shown in the drawing, by a the tube 10, and'until it has been partially discharged from the tube, and until the rotation of the rotor 80 has been initiated and accelerated up to a predetermined; speed, and then for automatically releasing t e gimbal rings andthe rotor 80 carried thereby, a pm 100 is arranged to reciprocate in a fixed path into and out of engagement in an opening provided therefor in the normally horizontal gimbal ring 81. 'This pin 100 1s connected to the upper portion of a lever 105 which is arranged to swing about a fixed normall horizontalaxis and which is connected at 1t s upper end to the sleeve 88 in such ,a manner as to-control the horizontal movement of the sleeve. A--n'ormally compressed spiral spring;106 tends at all times to rotate the lever 105 in a counter-clockwise direction. The lever 105 is held in its lockpin' 110 which is ri 'd with the upper portion of the lever an which projects inwardly therefrom. This pin 110 is arranged to engage against a cam 111 which is rigid with a ratchet 112, which is arranged to be ac tuated by acspring' pressed pawl 113 which is mounted upon a plate 114, which is arranged to swing with respect -tothe ratchet about the axis of the ratchet and to be oscillated by a connecting rod 115, which is piv otally connected at oneend to the plate 114! and at its other end to a gear 116 which is arranged to rotate about a fixed axis, and to the spring 116 to move the pinion 86 out of engagement with the pinion 85 for rotating .the rotor of the gyroscope, and at the same time to move the pin 100 out of engagement with the gimbal ring 81 and thus free the gyroscope.

For adjusting the azimuth ring 65 of the gyroscope to predirect the torpedo 15 upon any desired course, the azimuth ring 65 is surrounded by an annular gear 150, which is insulated therefrom and which is arranged to be en aged by a pinion 151 which is arranged to %e actuated by an electrical repeating mechanism 152 which receives its energy through afour-wire cable 153 which leads from the repeating mechanism 152 outwardly through the torpedo and which has a section 154 separably connected to the portion 153 carried bythe torpedo by means of a plug 155/which is removably inserted in a socket 166 carried by the torpedo. This removable section 154 is. 'wound upon a reel 170 which is arranged to rotate about an axis fixed with respect to the torpedo tube 10. The reel 170 is provided with four concentric annular conductors 171 which are insulated from each other and which are connected respectively to the outer ends of the four conductors which form the cable "154.. These annular conductors 171 are also arranged to be engaged respectively by four brushes 172 which'are connected respectively- The outer section 175 of the cable includes a return wire 176 which is arranged to be energized by a batte 177. The outer end of the outer section 1 5 of the cable is connected to -an electric motion transmitter 180;

which is arranged to be actuated by a pinion 181 which is arran d to be rotated by a gear 182 which is rigid with the lower end of a vvertical spindle 183 which is provided at its'upper end with a yoke 184: rigid therewith, and which is arranged to rotate about a normally vertical axis fixed with respect to the torpedo tube 10.

Ij or predirect1ng the torpedo in'such a tube it will assume and proceedupon any predetermined course, a telescope 185 is pivmanner, that. when it is projected from its 1,

otally mounted in the yoke 184 to swing about a horizontal axis fixed with respect to the spindle 183, a telescope 185 or other suitable sighting instrument. The arrangement is such that when the telescope 185 is aimed upon a target the motion of the telescope ing the telescope 185 inoperative to adjust the azimuth ring65 after the gyroscope has been unlocked by'the movement of the lever 105 in a counter-clockwise direction, the inner end. of the return wire 176 is connected to a fixed terminal 190 which is ar-- ranged to engage a contact 191 carriedbythe lower end of the lever 105 but insulated therefrom and connected by a conductor 192 to the electrical repeating mechanism 152, the conductor 192 forming a continuation of the return conductor 176. The arrangement is such that when the lever 105 is in its locking position, as shown in the drawing, the circuit between the inner end of the return wire 176 and the repeating mechanism 152 will be closed, but when the lever 105 has been moved in a counter-clockwise direction from the position shown in the drawing, the circuit through the return wire 176 will be broken and consequently the telescope 185 will be rendered inoperative to control the azimuth ring 65.

In the operation of this improved system, with the torpedo in its inoperative position as shown in Fig. 1, when it is desired to predirect the torpedo toward a i'ven target and todischarge the torpedo, the telescope 185 is sighted upon the target and this so adjusts the azimuth ring 65 that when the torpedo has been thrown into the water it -will assume and proceed upon a course .to-

ward the target as predetermined by the telescope. After the azimuth ring has been thus adjusted the valve 20 is opened to admit air into the inner end of the torpedo tube. whereupon the torpedo is forced outwardly from the tube, and at the beginning of its outward movement the free end of the trigger 93 is moved rearwardly with respect to the torpedo 15 by the fixed lug 94, and this opens communication between the air tank 55 and the turbine 90 which initiates the rotation of the rotor. as hereinbefore described, and when the rotor has been rotated through a predetermined number of revolutions sufiicient to permit the rotor to be accelerated up to a predetermined rate of rotation, the pin 100 and. the pinion 86 are withdrawn from connection with the gyroscope, thus freeingthe gyroscope as hereinbefore described. This is accom lished as a result of the releasing of the ever 105,

and the releasing of the gyroscope is the result of a counter-clockwlse movement of the lever 105, and this separates the lower end of the lever from the fixed contact 190 and thus renders the telescope 185 inoperative to control the azimuth ring 65..

As the torpedo 15 is thus being moved outwardly in the tube 10, the section 154 of the cable which connects the torpedo to the reel 170 remains connected to the tort pedo at its inner end and is unwound from the reel 170 by the outward movement of the torpedo until all of this section 154 is unwound from the reel 170, whereupon, as this outer section 154 is securely'connected at its outer end to the reel 170, the plug 155 ceases to move outwardly and the socket 166- is therefore drawn away from the plug 155, thus disconnecting the torpedo from the outer section 154 of the cable. This outer section 154 of the cable is sutlicientlyilong to permit the plug 155 to remain in its socket 166 until after theltorpedo has reached that point-in its outward movement with respect to its tube in which the torpedo is entirely outside of the tube 10, and in which rotor 80- of the gyroscope has attained full speed, and

the lever 105 has consequently been released and has been permitted to swing in a counter-clockwise direction to simultane ously release the gyroscope, cut off the supply of air from the tank 55 to the turbine 90, and render the telescope 185 inoperative tocontrol the azimuth ring, as hereinbeforo described. v

To permit the predirecting means carried by the torpedo to be controlled by the telescope 185 or sighting means while the torpedo is being projected from the tube and up to the point in the movement of the torpedo when the torpedo is about to be separated from the tube 10, the parts of the predirection means carried' by the torpedo are preferably proportional and arranged so that with a suitable predetermined initial pressure of air which is always provided in the tank 55.-the rotation of the rotor 80 of the gyroscope will be initiated and accelerated during the outward movement of movement of the torpedo where the torpedo is about to be separated entirely from the tube 10.

From the foregoing description, it is evident that by keeping the telescope 185 pointed at the target during the entire time that the torpedo is being discharged from its tube, the'torpedoi will be predirected in such a manner that after having been projected from its tube it will assumeand proceed upon thev course predetermined by the telescope at the moment that the rotor 80 of the gyroscope has been accelerated up to its full speed and the torpedo is on the point of being separated entirelyfrom its tube.

vAlthough only a single form has been shown' herein in which this invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this invention is. not limited to any specific construction, but might be applied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims. 7 i J v Having thus fully described this invention, I claim:

-1. The combination with a movable body, of 'automaticsteering means carried thereby, including a rotary element, transmission means for adjusting said steering means to predirect said body upon a given course,

and means controlled by said rotary element to render. said transmission means inoperative to control said steering means. 7

2. The combination with...a movable body, of automatic steering means carried thereby, includinga rotary element, grid means controlled by said rotary element to render said transmission means inoperative to control said steering. means after sald rotary element has been rotated from an initial position through a predetermined number of revolutions.

3. The combination with a movable body, of automatic steering means carried thereby, including a rotary element, transmission means for adjusting said steering means to predirect said bod upon a given course, and

means controlled y said rotary element to render sald' transmlsslon means inoperative to control sald steermg means after said rotary. element has been rotated from a state of rest to a state of rotation'at a predetermined rate. Y a Y 4. The combination with a movable body, of automatic steering means carried thereby including a gyroscope, transmission means for adjusting said steering means to predirect said bod upon agiven course, and means control ed by'said gyroscope to render said transmission means inoperativeto control said steerin means. 1'

5. The combination with a movable body, of automatic steering means carried thereby including a gyroscope, transmission meansfor ad usting said steering means to predirect said'bod upon a givenf course, and means control ed by saldgyroscope to render said transmisslon means inoperative to control said steering means after said gyroscopehas been actuated through a predetermined number of revolutions from a state of rest. 1' 6. :The combination with a. movable body, of automatic steering means carried thereby, including a rotary element, transmission means for adjusting said steering means to means.

for rotating said rotary element,.'transmissionv means extending outside of said body for predirecting said steering means, and means controlled by said rotary element for rendering said transmission means inoperative to control said steering means.

8. The combination with a support, of a movable body carried by said support, automatic steering means carried by said body and including a rotary'element, means for projecting said body from said support, means rendered operative by the movement of said body with respect to said support for rotating said rotary element,-transmission means extending outside of said body for predirectin said steering means, and means controlled y said rotary element for rendering said transmission means inoperative.

to control said steering means after said rotary element has been rotatedfrom a state of rest through a predetermined number of revolutions.

' 9. The combination with -asupport, of a movable body carried by said support, automatic steering means carried by said body and including a gyroscope, means for projecting said body from said support, means rendered operative by the movement of said body with respecttosaid support for initig ating and accelerating the operation of said gyroscope, outside of said body for predirecting sai transmission means extendin steering means, and means controlled by said gyroscope for rendering said transmission means. inoperative to control sald steering 10. The combination with a support, of a movable body carried by said support, automatic steering meanscarried by said body and including a rotary element, pneumatic means for projectin .said body from said support, means ren ered operative by the -movement of said body with respect to said support for rotating said" rotary element, transmission means extending outside of said body for predireeting said steering means, and means controlled by said rotary element f for rendering said transmission means inoperative to control said steering means.

11. The combination with a support, of a movable body covered by said support, automatic steering means carried by said body and including a rotary element,- pneumatic means for projecting said body from said support, actuating means rendered operative by the movement of said body with respect to said support for initiating and accelerating the rotation of said rotary element, transmission means extending outside of said body for predirecting said steering means," and means controlled'by said rotary element for rendering said actuating means inoperative to actuate said rotary element, and for rendering said transmission means inoperative to control said steering means.

12. The combination with a support, of a movable body carried by said support, automatic steering means carried by said body and including a rotary element, means for projecting said body from said support, actuating means rendered operative by the movement of said body with respect to said support for rotating said rotary element, transmission means extending outside of said body for predirecting said steering means, means controlled by said rotary element for rendering said actuating means inoperative to actuate said rotary element and to render said transmission means inoperative to control said steering means.

13. The combination with a support, of a. movable body carried by said support, automatic steering means carried by said body and including a rotary element, means for projecting said body'from said support, actuating means rendered operative by the movement of said body with respect to said support for rotating said rotary element, transmimion means extending outside of said body for predirecting said steering means, means controlled by said rotary element for rendering said actuating means inoperative to actuate said rotary element and to simultaneously render said transmission means inoperative to control said steering means. V

14. The combination with a support, of a movable body carried by said support, automatic steering means carried by said body and including a rotary element, means for projecting said body from said support, means rendered operative by the movement of said body With respect to said support for rotating said rotary element, transmission means extendin outside of said body for predirecting sai steering means, and means controlled by said rotary element for rendering said transmission means inoperative to control said steering means, said transmission means being operative to control said steering means while said body is moving with respect to said support for an appreciable period before belng rendered inoperative by said-rotary element. 7

15. The combination with a support, of a movable body carried by said support, automaticsteering means carried by said 'body and including a gyroscope, means for pro v jecting said'body from said support, means rendered operative by the movement of said body with respect to said support for actuating said gyroscope, transmission means extending outside of said body for predirecting said steering means, and means controlled by said gyroscope for rendering said transmission means tinoperative to control said steering means, said transmission means being operative-to control said steering means while said body is moving with respect to said support for an' appreciable periodbefor'e being rendered inoperative by said gyroscope.

16. The combination with a support, of a movable body carried by said support, automatic steering means carriedby said body and including a gyroscope, means for projecting said body fromsaid support, means v rendered operative by the movement of said body with respect to said support for actuating said gyroscope, transmission means extending outside of said body for predirecting said'steering means,means-controlled by said gyroscope for rendering said transmission means inoperative to control said steering means, said transmission means being operative to control said steering means while said body is moving with respect to said support for an appreciable period before being rendered inoperative by said gyroscope, and said transmission means being arranged to be disconnected by said body as a result of the movement of said body through a predetermined distance from an initial position.

17. The combination with a movable body,

of automatic steering means carried by said body and including a rotary element, actuating means for rotating said rotary element, transmission means for predirecting said steering means, and means controlled by said rotary element forrendering said actuating means inoperative to actuate said element and for rendering said transmission,

' means inoperative to predirect'said steering means.

18. The combination with a movable body, of automatic steering means carried thereby, and including a rotary element,actuating" means for rotating said element, and transmission means for adjusting said steering means'to predirect said body upon a given course, said transmission means being arranged to be rendered inoperative as a result of the rotation of said element.

19. The combination with a movable body, of automatic steering means carried thereby, and including a rotary element, actuating means for rotating said element, and transmission means for adjusting said steering means to predirect said body u on a given course, said aotuatmg means an sald transsighting means, transmission means conmission means being arranged to be rendered lnoperative as a result of the rotation of sald element.

20. The combination with a movable body, of automatic steering means carried thereby and including a rotary element, and transmission means extending outside of said body for adjusting said steering means -to predirect said body upon a given course,

said transmission means bein arranged to be disconnected from said bo y as a result of the movement of and immediately following said body from an initial position through a distance.

21. The combination with a movable body, of automatic steering means carried thereby, including a rotary element, movable predetermined and appreciable trolled by said sighting means for ad sting 'u said steering means'to predirect said body upon a given course, and means controlled,

by said rotary element to render said transmission means inoperative to control said steerin means. a

22, he combination with a movable body of automatic steering means carried thereby, and transmission means extending outside of said body for adjusting said steering means to predirect said body upon a given course,

said transmission means being normall detachably connected to said body an arranged to be automatically disconnected from said body as a result of the movement of said body from an initial position through a predetermined distance.

' said body 23. The combination witha movable boii of automatic steering means carried thereby and transmission means foradjusting said steering means to predirect said body upon a given course, said transmission means havmg a portion extendin outside of said body and arranged to trave in unison with said body through a predetermined distance and then to be automatically disconnected from as a result of the movement of said body beyond said distance. r

24. The combination with a torpedo, of

automatic steering means carried thereby, a

support for said torpedo, means for pro'ec'ting said torpedo from said support, an ad justing means detachably connected to said torpedo and arranged to adjust said steering means to predirectsaid torpedo u n a given course while said torpedo is ing projected from said support.

25. The combination -with atorpedo, of automatic steering means carried thereby, a support for said torpedo, means for pro'ecting said torpedo from said support, an ad justin torpe o and arranged to adjust said steering means to predirect said torpedo upon a given course while said torpedo is being pro ectedfrom said support, said adjusting means hemeans detachably connected to said ing arranged to be automatically disconnected from said torpedo as a result of themovement of said torpedo from an'initial position u on said support through a predetermine support. 7

26. The combination distance with respect to said with a torpedo, of

automatic steering means carried thereby, a 4 support for said torpedo, means for pro ecting said torpedo from said support, and adjusting means including sighting means detachably connected to said torpedo .and' arra V sai torpedo is being projected from said support to predirect said torpedo upon a given course.

ed to adjust said steering means while 7 27. The combination with a torpedo, of

automatic steering means carried thereby, a support for said torpedo, means for projecting said torpedo from said support, and adjusting means including a telesco e detachably connected to said torpedo an arranged to ad'ust said steering means while said torpe o is being projected from said support t predirect. said torpedoupon a given course;

28. The combination with a torpedo, of automatic steering means carried thereby, a support for said torpedo, and adjusting means for ad'usting said steering means to predirect sai torpedo upon a given course,

said adjusting means including sight-ing means supported independently of said tor pedo, and transmission means .detaehably conne'ctin said sighting means to said tor.- pedo, sai transmission means includin an electric cable havin a portion exten g outside of and detac ably connected to said' torpedo and movable in unison therewith through a predeterminededistance and arranged to be disconnected from said tor-V determined distance and arranged tobe dis-' connected from said torpedo as a result of the movement of said torpedo beyond said distance.

30. The combination with atorpedo, of automatic steering means carried thereby, a support for said torpedo, means for pro'ectng said torpedo from said support, ad ustmg means'meluding an jelement supported torpedo, of.

said support.

31. The combination with a torpedo, of automatic steering means carried thereby, a support for said torpedo, means forprojecting said torpedo from said support, adjusting means including an element supported independently of said torpedo, and transmission means between saidelement and said torpedo, said transmission means being detachably connected to said torpedo and bein arranged to permit said element to contrdl said steering means while said torpedo is being projected from an initial position upon said support into another position on said support, and said transmission means being arranged to be automatically disconnected from said torpedo as a result of the movement of said torpedo beyond said support.

32. The combination with a torpedo, .of automatic steering means carried thereby, a

support for said torpedo, means for projecting said torpedo from said support, adjusting means including an element supported independently of said torpedo, and transmission means between said element and said torpedo, said transmission means being detachably connected to said torpedo and being arranged to permit said element to control said steering means while said torpedo is being projected from an initial position upon said support into a position where it is about to'leave said support.

33. The combination with a torpedo, of automatic steering means carried thereby, a support for said torpedo, means for projecting said torpedo from said support, adjusting means including an element supported independently ofsaid torpedo, and transmission means between said element and said torpedo, said transmission means being detachably connected to said torpedo and being arranged to permit said element to control said steering means while said torpedo is being projected from an initial position upon said support into a position Where said torpedo is on the point of leaving said support,

and said transmission means being arranged to be automatically disconnected from said torpedo as a result of and immediately after the movement of said torpedo from its initial position into a position-where the torpedo is entirely outside of said support.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 19th day of June A. D. 1917.

ALBERT D. TRENOR. 

